That’s right – let’s have fun! That’s what it’s all about when you’re at Grammy and Grampy’s house. Fun doesn’t have to be expensive, at least for the younger grandchildren. I wrote this part about six years ago when Sami, Alli and Natalie were younger. This still applies to my baby Olivia, who just turned two. The older ones? Check out my “Help From The Panel of Experts” tab. In the meantime, blog me what you know!
The worst thing to do, is to let the kids get bored. Also, when it’s time to leave one activity, it’s easier to get the kids to leave when they are going to another fun activity. When the babies are over during vacation, we have a “schedule” and also a “whose turn is it?” chart to help things run smoothly. We really don’t stick to the schedule, it’s just there in case we’re at a loss for what to do. Otherwise, we keep activities from 1/2 hour to 1 1/2 hours long, just to keep from getting bored!
HAVE A SCHEDULE – JUST IN CASE
Here’s the schedule for when they stay overnight during the summer. Adjust it to what you need. For older children, substitute my “little girl” activities for what your kids do. Don’t forget to blog and let me know!
CAMP GRAMMY AND GRAMPY
9:00 – 9:30 Breakfast
9:30 – 10:00 Get dressed
10:00 – 10:45 Walk around block across the street or play in basement
10:45 – 11:00 Snack
11:00 – 11:45 Walk around block on this side to the playground (before the big kids get there).
11:45 – 12:30 Play in basement
12:30 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 3:00 Field Trip*/pool
3:00 – 3:30 Snack
3:30 – 5:00 Movie/naptime
5:00 – 5:45 Sandbox
5:45 – 6:30 Sprinkler
6:30 – 7:00 Dinner
7:00 – 8:00 Arts and Crafts
8:00 – 9:00 Walk around block across the street, snack, bedtime story
9:00 – 9:30 Get ready for bed
9:30 Movie/bedtime
Time for Grammy’s “special juice.”
Take note: We go to the playground early, before the big kids get there. We go on a “field trip” or in the pool, which is the longest activity, before naptime. We play in the sandbox as late in the day as possible, and follow that with washing off in the sprinkler before dinner. Our “field trips” are planned as well as we can according to the weather.
I’m thrilled that our babies like to play in their playroom in our basement (their Castle), but we live in Michigan, so we’re going to soak up every hour of sunshine we can get. The basement will be there all winter when I’m at work. What do we play in the basement? Read on!
debbie@grammyslittlehelpers.com